Impressions by Clark A. Anyone sentimental can attest to the strain that occurs upon performing a task associated with powerful memories. For me, it’s as trivial as revisiting particularly nostalgic games from my childhood, but others such as Kousei Arima aren’t quite so fortuitous with their ticks. Arima dreads playing…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Princess Yona leads a peaceful life. She’s got more liberty than you’d expect from a family of nobility and one of her few “worries” is whether or not her hair colour suits her complexion. When her childhood sweetheart, Soo-Won, stops by the castle one day, Yona…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Celestial Method follows the young Nonoka Komiya as she returns to her homeland of Lake Kiriya City. After settling in, Komiya stumbles upon childhood friend, Noel. Oblivious to Noel’s identity, Komiya winds up falsely accusing her once-pal of damaging an invaluable photograph. The two eventually resolve…
Read MoreNews by Clark A. If you’re familiar with long-running anime, the name Case Closed (or “Detective Conan” if you’re so disposed) should ring a bell. The popular detective fiction franchise recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and now spans more than 84 manga volumes and 750 anime episodes. Shinichi Kudo’s not…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. What happens when five high school students gain such superpowers as time control, elemental manipulation, and flame manifestation? Almost nothing, apparently. In Studio Trigger’s comedic When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, there are neither grand villains to be combated nor the need to thrust vigilante justice upon…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Anthropomorphising video game consoles is nothing new, but as the many Hyperdimension Neptunia fans here at Digitally Downloaded will tell you, it remains novel as a means to poke fun at and criticise the games industry. The usual order is to convert those old hunks of…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Balancing heavy-handed death scenes with comedy in anime seems as if it’s a herculean task at times. Dark juxtaposition can work brilliantly when executed appropriately, but I typically don’t care for trivialising serious affairs by having characters undersell heart wrenching situations with cheery or unmoved demeanours.…
Read MoreNews by Clark A. Hanamonogatari, the latest arc of Nisio Isin’s Monogatari series, aired on Japanese television last week as one lengthy marathon. English-speaking fans won’t have to wait long at all to catch up on the latest arc, though, and they won’t have to jump through hoops to watch…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Growing up, we’ve all wanted something that our parents just wouldn’t give us, rolling out some variation of the old “you can buy it yourself when you get a job“ line. Nanako Usami just wanted a new swimsuit, but wound up becoming an idol for her…
Read MoreImpressions by Clark A. Oftentimes when childhood friends reunite in an anime, at least one party has changed to a comedic degree. Blue Spring Ride (Ao Haru Ride) takes a more realistic approach to the situation, however. While its plot is obviously embellished to flow well and elicit emotional responses…
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